From Travis Barker proposing to Kourtney Kardashian inside a giant love heart of red roses to J.Lo’s knuckle-dusting emerald engagement ring courtesy of Ben Affleck’s proposal 2.0, this year appears to be the year of the OTT romantic gesture.
The latest recruit to the hopeless romantic brigade is footballer and all-round legend Marcus Rushford. The Manchester United forward proposed to his long-term girlfriend and childhood sweetheart Lucia Loi in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Rashford, 24, who was awarded an MBE for his tireless work campaigning for free school meals for vulnerable children, proved he is nothing if not thoughtful, after posting a photo of his surprise proposal to Instagram captioned simply with the date: “24.05.22”.
The photo shows the couple kissing in front of a large scale rose installation in the shape of a heart, standing on a carpet of yet more white roses in a villa in LA. According to the Daily Mail, Rashford popped the question after a romantic dinner at It-restaurant Catch LA in West Hollywood.
The pair met while attending Ashton on Mersey school in Greater Manchester and have been together for eight years, spitting briefly last February before reuniting at the beginning of this year. In January, Rashford announced their reunion with an Instagram reel of photos of the couple with the caption: “Through thick and thin.”
The couple’s engagement announcement has been met with universal well-wishes, with the official Manchester United Instagram account commenting “So happy for you both!” While team mate Manchester United defender Ro-Shaun Williams wrote: “What a night brother,” suggesting he may have been present for the event.
It has been a big year for Rashford, who just days before celebrated his debut novel being awarded the book of the year prize at the British Book Awards. Rashford’s non-fiction book You Are A Champion, which he co-wrote with journalist Carl Anka, is an inspirational guide for young people on how to achieve their dreams.
But this isn’t Rashford’s only literary success in recent weeks, on March 24 he took to Instagram to announce the cover of his first children’s fiction book, The Breakfast Club Adventures: The Beast Beyond the Fence, based on his own experience of eating breakfasts at school.
It’s not known when the wedding will take place, but Rashford will be stationed in LA for intensive off-season prep before the Premier League season resumes, so it’s likely not until 2023.
